The Vassar College Music Library has over 20,000 books, 30,000 scores, 30,000 audio recordings and hundreds of visual recordings, which may be searched through the 3 Vassar Catalogs. The first two catalogs are found online in the ("maroon search box").   The Music Library card catalog can only be searched physically in the Music Library.

To search the Vassar Libraries' Online Catalog, select different types of searches from the drop down box:

• keyword
  • Example of keyword search: "Pierre Schaeffer" [if it's in quotation marks, it needs to be direct order, to search that exact phrase]
• author
  • Example of author search: Schaeffer Pierre [last name first]
• title
• LC call number (for books)
• non-LC call number (for sound recordings)
• subject
  • Example of subject search: Babbitt, Milton
     

Subject searches for specific instruments or computer applications:

• MP3 (Audio coding standard)
• Moog synthesizer
• Theremin

Subject headings:

• Music and technology
• Sound recording industry
• Sound -- Recording and reproducing
• Music -- Acoustics and physics [has several related terms]
• Computer music [has related terms, including a scope note for one of them]

To search the Vassar Libraries' Online Catalog go to the top of the "maroon search box":

Content: the Vassar Libraries' Online Catalog allows for the searching of articles in journals and not just journal titles. You may also search audio streaming databases.

Facets on the left also allow you to limit the format of your search result

Depending on your selection of facets your results will be from the Library catalog and some, but not all,  of our  databases.  

Music Library CARD CATALOG. 

Many pre-1978 scores and sound recordings are not yet represented in the online catalog.  Instead, use the Music Library Card Catalog (onsite), which consists of Music Library holdings, mostly older scores and LP recordings, not yet included in the Vassar Libraries Online Catalog. The Music Library card catalog is located in the Reading Room on the first floor of the Music Library.

Browsing the book shelves by LC call number:

Because of the call number system for sound recordings it is not possible to browse the shelves for sound recordings.

The library has numerous books on jazz music, jazz and society, and important individuals in the world of jazz.  Browsing the shelves can be useful.  Here are some call number to explore.  There circulating books are located on the ground floor of the Music Library:

These call numbers can also be searched in the Library of Congress ("LC") system through the online catalog. Select and "LC call number" search.

Call numbers:

ML74: Computers and music
ML1380: Electronic music. Computer music
ML3790-ML3792: Music trade, including sound recording industry
ML3805: Physics and acoustics of music
T (especially TK in Music Library): Technology